3D Printing Offers Opportunity to Custom Bike Designers with Kris Henry of 44 Bikes

Bike enthusiasts understand the importance of quality welds, dynamic suspensions, and low-maintenance bikes. But to have a bike custom designed to their unique specifications is a dream come true. Today’s guest not only builds custom bikes he designs the parts using additive manufacturing (AM). 

Today, host Fabian Alefeld speaks with the owner and founder of 44 Bikes, Kris Henry, and EOS’ Spencer Thompson. Kris shares his passion for creating custom bikes and describes how he uses the design and supply chain aspects of AM to make handcrafted custom bikes accessible to a larger user group. Spencer offers insights into the state of AM adoption by small business owners, highlights the partnership opportunities available to manufacturers, and shares the hurdles independent builders face in the AM space.  

Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS. 

Key Takeaways: 

[2:11] 44 Bikes was born of Kris’ love of bicycles and his passion for designing things. 

[8:48] The benefits of additive manufacturing in building custom bicycles. 

[20:07] 3D printing offers small shop owners and bike enthusiasts a whole new level of design. 

[26:29] Supply chain challenges and speed to market increase AM adoption in small businesses.  

[34:22] When only a few parts are needed, finding manufacturers to partner with is a big hurdle. 

[36:03] The lack of protocols or universal standards for additive manufacturing creates a huge learning curve for independent builders. 

Resource Links: 

EOS 

44 BIKES 

Spencer Thompson on LinkedIn